GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Spring is in the air, and that means it is time for the housing market to warm back up.
"Once that weather breaks, people are really excited to get their homes on the market. Buyers are coming out of the woodwork after a long winter, and they're excited to see some homes we are already seeing spring hit," Scott West, Greater Regional Alliance of Realtors immediate past president, said.
Many shoppers are looking to get the most for their money, and interest rates play a huge factor in their interest.
"Where they're at right now is as good as they've been in the last three or four years," West said.
A year and a half ago, rates were around 7.5 to 8 percent.
"They're in the low sixes right now. So it's definitely better, but it's a little volatile for this specific time," Chris Alicki, West Michigan Mortgage Perfect CEO, said.
"So with the war in Iran, it's very inflationary. Obviously, we've all seen the gas prices go up. You know, gas prices go up, everything goes up. So as inflation goes up, they tend to raise or keep their rates the same. So, yeah, this was pretty anticipated," Alicki said.
Realtors are still anticipating plenty of buyers this season.
"Buyers are coming out of the woodwork with these lower rates and just more inventory coming onto the market. So it's been an exciting time for anyone in the real estate field or anyone looking to buy," West said.
As your Grand Rapids reporter, I am seeing data from the Greater Regional Alliance of Realtors in my neighborhood. For those looking to buy or sell, single-family home prices rose an average of 4 percent in 2025, while the number of new listings went up 6 percent.
Townhouses and condos might be the best bet for some buyers. Prices were down 2.5 percent in 2025, but the number of listings grew nearly 15 percent.
I asked if listing a home right now means there is a good chance of getting multiple offers.
"Definitely, depending on the price point and where you list it. Yes, there are multiple offers popping up. Again, definitely a different scene than coming out of COVID, where we were having 20 or 30 offers on the regular," West said.
Realtors say the best thing buyers can do ahead of the season is to get pre-approved.
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